Ateneo de Manila University has spent the past two seasons chasing, only to come up short.
In Season 85, the Blue Eagles finished with a 7-7 record, missing the Final Four by one game as Far Eastern University and De La Salle University secured the last two semifinal spots.
A year later, history repeated itself. Ateneo once again posted a 7-7 record in Season 86, only to fall just behind the University of Santo Tomas Golden Spikers for the fourth and final slot in the semifinals.
Now, fueled by the heartbreak of back-to-back near-misses, the Blue Eagles have emerged as a dark horse contender in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament, sitting at solo third place with a 2-1 record.
At the heart of Ateneo’s strong start are key mainstays Jian Salarzon and Kennedy Batas, who led the team to a 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19 victory over the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, securing their second win in three games.
First-year head coach Vince Mangulabnan highlighted the significance of Salarzon and Batas, not just for their offensive firepower but also for their leadership within the team.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Sobrang importante nitong dalawang ito kasi sila yung main attackers talaga namin. Grabe lang yung naging trust sa kanila ng mga teammates nila para magbigay sila ng ganon na nagsum up sa ganitong performances at trinabaho talaga nila yung naging tiwala ng teammates nila sa kanila,” Mangulabnan said postgame.
“Ako, hangga’t itong dalawang ito, ganyan at ganyan yung lalaruin nila, siguro lagi nila ako papaupuin nang maayos sa upuan. Nahihirapan ako tumayo ‘eh sa galing nila,” he quipped.
Batas, who leads the division in scoring with 62 points, attributed their early-season success to the team’s improved chemistry, which they developed over the off-season.
Despite their strong start, the 23-year-old opposite spiker emphasized the importance of staying focused and not getting ahead of themselves as they aim for their first Final Four appearance since Season 81 in 2019.
“First things first, yung chemistry na nabuo namin this season, sobrang solid compared to last year. Sabay-sabay kami nagla-lunch at nagdi-dinner para mapag-usapan kung ano pa yung dapat namin gawin at yung mga mali namin na nagawa. I think ‘yon yung naging way kaya sobrang solid ng chemistry namin ngayon,” Batas shared.
“To add lang, laging iniisip namin na hindi pa kami nakafocus sa Final Four, nakafocus kami kung ano talaga meron ngayon kasi kung nakatingin ka sa dulo, pwede ka madapa ‘eh, so present muna tinitignan namin.”
Echoing Batas’ sentiments, Salarzon stressed that beyond chemistry, the Blue Eagles’ success stems from their shared mindset and singular goal—ending a nine-year championship drought.
“For me naman, lahat kami na nasa team ngayon, nasa parehas na mindset at same goal. Kaya maganda yung chemistry namin kasi lahat kami at lahat ng ginagawa namin, iisa lang yung goal namin,” the Bacolod native said.
